PS5 players were surprised to see a popular Steam hit pop up on the PlayStation Store – except it had no business being there

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It’s common for games to be imitated by other creators, and you often see cheap imitations attempting to capitalize on successful titles. Usually, these imitations are easily recognized, like the poorly received Animal Crossing counterfeit. However, this R.E.P.O. replica was so convincing that it almost deceived someone.

A shady R.E.P.O. knockoff trended on PlayStation

The surprise hit R.E.P.O., which was released on Steam in March, caught everyone’s attention, so it wasn’t unexpected that others saw a chance to make a profit from it. However, since the game is still in Early Access on Steam, console gamers were disappointed because they couldn’t play this innovative co-op horror game. It seems someone recognized this gap in the market.

As a devoted gaming enthusiast, I stumbled upon an intriguing revelation on the PlayStation Store – the suspenseful game titled R.E.P.O. Horror had taken the top spot in trending games, boasting artwork strikingly similar to the authentic R.E.P.O. Now, with the community’s collective suspicions piqued due to the absence of gameplay videos or screenshots, and the title being developed by an entirely different studio, it was only a matter of time before players started to question its legitimacy. Remarkably, some gamers were even prepared to purchase the game before noticing its oddities. Fortunately, it turned out that the announcement had just been made and the game hadn’t been released yet.

As a passionate gamer, I’m still puzzled over the fact that a game ended up on the PlayStation Store, only to be removed later. It’s troubling because, as I’ve come to understand, the store relies partially on AI for moderation, and it seems like this game slipped through the cracks during the automated checks. This incident underscores the need for improved quality control, as such issues are often brought to light when the gaming community voices their concerns.

This isn’t the first time, and sadly, it won’t be the last

The proliferation of similar games, particularly indie titles, is proving to be quite an issue. Many developers lack the resources to combat these clones. For instance, a recent success on Steam, Chained Together, has been inundated with imitations such as Chained to Eachother and even a console clone named Chained Climb Together. However, unlike some cases where the game is swiftly removed, the PlayStation Store continues to carry this game despite its duplicates.

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2025-03-14 16:02